After the Cure
by Copper's Mama
Summary: Max/Alec fic. Takes place after "Freak Nation". Alec finds the cure for Max's virus, but doesn't want to give up their relationship, even if it's fake. Please read and review!


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_A Max/Alec fic. _

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_Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Dark Angel. I'm not that awesome. _

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_A/N: Well, I've been out of the Dark Angel groove for a while, but I was having a Supernatural marathon with my sister-in-law, and while talking about Jensen Ackles, we got to discussing the roles he's done, and I suggested that when were done watching Supernatural, we start on my Dark Angel DVDs ... and then I couldn't resist getting back to this pairing. _

_Anywhoo, this takes place after the finale, when they are living in Terminal City. Alec finds the cure for Max, but debates whether or not to tell her. He's still pretending to be her boyfriend, and doesn't want her to go running back to Logan the second she can. _

_Well, that's enough out of me. Let's get on with the story!_

_I hope you guys like it, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

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It was right there in front of him ... staring him in the face with mocking laughter and wicked cackles. After all this time, all the worry and questions, all the searching finally over. And why wasn't he happy? Well, because the simple little vial in his hand held the cure to Max's virus: the only thing keeping her and Logan apart.

Alec sighed, pouring over the information again and again. He'd been doing Max a favor when he'd gotten an outside contract with an underground DNA specialist to go over hers and Logan's genetic codes, and work out a cure to the virus that Manticore had given her. He'd wanted out of the fake relationship so that he could go back to his life as normal. He hadn't dreamed in a million years that he would end up falling in love with her.

Now he would lose her.

_Unless I don't show her what I found ... if she doesn't get the cure, she and Logan will never be, and she'll stay with me to keep him safe._ He considered that option, looking at both sides. On the one hand, he'd get to be with her longer, but he might feel bad. On the other, if she found out what he'd hidden from her, she would never forgive him, and he'd lose her anyway.

Alec was torn. He sat alone in his apartment, the one he kept outside of TC. He hadn't wanted anyone at Terminal City to get wind of his research. Aside from the fact that many of them - mainly Mole - were still wary of Logan, many of them also thought that Max's feelings for the "Ordinary" would only get in the way of her doing her job. Surprisingly, they all embraced the "relationship" between her and her second-in-command: Alec. They had needed to continue with the charade of their relationship around the other transgenics. Logan would visit Terminal City whenever he could, and Max hadn't wanted someone to let slip that they weren't really together, nor did she want to force everyone to lie for her ... so they'd done the simple thing, and lied to everyone.

He hadn't minded, though. Not really. Things hadn't changed that much between them at first. Sure, they'd had to act like a couple for Logan's benefit, and they both worked on treating each other with a little more civility ... but the funny thing was, after a while, they hadn't had to work so hard at it. Sure, they still bantered back and forth, and were often on often sides of the more serious debates, but at the end of the day, they were on good terms, and hell ... they enjoyed it. Alec loved fighting with Max now. It had become a game. One that sometimes, he didn't mind losing.

A little over a month ago, things had changed between them. He didn't know if Max felt it too, but he didn't want to ask. Not if there was a chance that she didn't. They'd been on a supply run and he'd gotten wounded pretty bad. They'd managed to get him to Max's Ordinary doctor friend, and he'd patched him up, but it had been touch-and-go for too long. Max hadn't left his side once. The doctor had pulled the bullet out of Alec's abdomen, stopped the bleeding and sewed him up, and Max hadn't let go of Alec's hand once. He'd been exhausted, slipping away, but she'd made him look at her, made him hold onto her face and keep fighting. And it had worked. He'd survived ... because she'd gotten him to the doctor, because she wouldn't let him die.

That had changed him; changed the way he saw her, changed the way he viewed their relationship. But he couldn't tell her.

"Ugh, how did things get so screwed up?" Alec asked himself, dropping his head into his free hand while the other toyed with the vial in his other one. It had only cost him $200, 000 dollars. No biggie. But now, he struggled internally with what to do with it.

For almost an hour, he debated what to do, but in the end there was only one choice. This was for Max, not for him ... not even for Logan.

Digging out his cell phone, he dialed her number.

"Make it fast," she spoke into the phone, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Alec wondered if he would miss that sound in her voice. "Hey, I got something for you. Can you meet me at my place outside of TC?"

"Yeah, sure," Max replied. "Be there in a jiff, maybe even with bells on," she joked.

Alec smiled sadly. "Can't wait."

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Max strolled into the apartment several minutes later, not bothering to knock. It wasn't like she needed to anyway, they were pretty tight lately.

Alec greeted her from where he stood by the kitchen counter.

"So, what'd you wanna show me?" Max wondered, walking over to him.

Alec sighed, looking down at his hands.

Max's brow furrowed, assuming something was wrong. "What's up?"

Building up his courage, Alec finally looked at her. "Max, before I give you what I found, I want to say something first. This thing with us ... I know that we're only faking it for Logan's benefit, and I know it's not supposed to mean anything, but lately ... things have changed. You can smack me for saying this if you want to, but I just thought you should know ... I've fallen for you. Big time, for real, deep-end kind of fallen, and I ..." He trailed off, unsure of where to go from there. Noticing that she was reasonably shocked, he took the chance before she could push him away to dip his head towards hers and pull her towards him for a quick but breathtaking kiss.

Max's hand shot up to his chest, pressing against the fabric of his shirt.

He pulled away just as quickly, moving on before she could berate or attack him for taking such liberties. "I found the cure, Max," he told her, watching her eyes snap up to his. They were full of so many emotions, but he pressed on. "It's a long story, and I can tell you another time, but right now I think it would be best if I just gave you the cure, and you left. I'm sure you'll want to take it as soon as possible, so you can get back with Logan." He pushed a folder full of all the research and information about the cure he'd gathered towards her, along with the vial in a protective case so nothing would happen to it. "The doc said that it would take at least twenty-four hours for the cure to take effect, and that afterwards you'd be a little drowsy, but it'll pass in a couple days, and you'll be back to normal."

Max blinked, looking at everything he had given her, and then looking back up into his green eyes. "What - when - how did you do this?" she asked him.

Alec shrugged. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you can finally be with Logan, and we don't have to pretend anymore. Now, if you don't mind, I think I'm gonna go get good and drunk. I'll see you tomorrow at HQ." He walked past her without waiting for her response, not wanting to prolong his suffering.

He did indeed get drunk that night, downing several bottles of the cheapest alcohol they had at Crash. He preferred the good stuff, but his pockets were a little bit lighter these days. Several girls had made their way over to him, offering to buy him drinks and some even going so far as to nearly prostitute themselves to him, but he turned them all down. Every time he looked at one them, all he could think was how fake they all looked, and how they weren't _her_.

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Alec had seen Max around Terminal City the last few days, but it wasn't until the fourth day after he'd given her the cure that she'd come to talk to him directly.

"Hey," she greeted carefully.

He inclined his head in response, focusing on the weapons he was cleaning and reloading.

"So, can we talk?" she asked him after a minute.

Alec shrugged. "It's a free country ... well, sort of."

Max smiled a little at that, sitting next to him with her hands in her pockets.

"So, you're all cured now?" he wondered, not meeting her eyes.

"Yeah," she replied. "It worked, just like you said."

Alec nodded, hiding his depression deep in his eyes. "Well, that's good. I'm sure Logan's doing cartwheels."

Max shrugged. "I wouldn't really know."

Alec paused, the clip prepared to slide into the base of the gun. "What do you mean?"

Max turned so that she was straddling the bench, looking into his half-hidden eyes. "I took the cure, and I told Logan that he didn't have to worry about dying if he touched me anymore ... but that nothing else had changed. I told him we weren't getting back together."

Alec slowly set down the gun, keeping his eyes trained on the blank space in front of him, not wanting to get his hopes up. "Why not?"

Max rolled her eyes, tugging his head towards her with one hand and sealing her lips over his.

He didn't need any more encouragement than that, and quickly pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her slender form and wanting to never let go. One hand drifted up her back to tangle in her hair, reveling in the soft perfection. His fingers traced over the skin of her barcode, causing her to shiver against him, breaking the kiss with a shaky breath.

It was a minute before she could answer, but when she could, she looked up at him with a grin on her face. "Because I love you too, you moron."

Alec grinned like a fool, tightening his grip on the back of her neck and pulling her back towards him for another crushing kiss.

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_The end. _

_So, what did you guys think? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful! _

_Until next time ...! _


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